The Secrets of Success

Facial Expressions

Why you Need to Remember to Inform your Face

Inform your face because you are wearing your thoughts and emotions all over it! Your facial expressions will expose you. Do you really want to share these thoughts and emotions with others? If not, remember to inform your face. In order to understand what I am talking about, observe for yourself. Next time you are in a meeting, look around and watch all the facial expressions. You can determine how people are feeling and responding to the discussion based on their expressions. You may actually notice a pattern: some may be accepting by exhibiting a smile, while others seem confused by crunching up their forehead and nose.

There are six (6) basic emotions – Angry, Happy, Sad, Fearful, Surprised, and Disgusted. According to a recent article in The Telegraph, facial expressions cover over twenty-one emotional states. That is many emotions for you to figure out if you are leading a meeting. Therefore, it might be difficult to read exactly what someone is feeling or thinking, so be careful. I believe it is safe to say that someone may have rejected your comment/s if you are noticing a disgusted face with arms crossed. Those nonverbal signs are obvious. With over twenty-one facial expression to analyze, some may not be so blatantly obvious, which will require more exploring.

If you are going to be leading a meeting or a discussion, it is imperative you read the room. The way to do that is through facial expressions and body language. You will have a room full of many different personalities to contend with and you need to be sure that your message is clear and comprehended. The goal is to make sure people understand what you are communicating. Not everyone has to agree with what you are saying but he or she does need to grasp the material. You can bet that those who disagree will be wearing it all over their face.

A strong leader can read facial expression quite well and is intuned with their team’s emotions. He or she can sense issues based on reading expressions. Even though facial expressions are a universal communication method and used similarly throughout the world, intuitive leaders will create a baseline for each team member. Therefore, when emotions change, they notice quickly and can react. This ability gives them an advantage over other leaders. Being able to react and resolve situations quickly allows leaders/managers to create a healthy environment for their employees.

Healthy environment equals higher morale.

Facial expressions are a powerful, non-verbal, way to communicate without saying a word. Unfortunately, many people do not realize they are doing it and they communicate their emotions when they intended to keep it to themselves. You do not always want others to know what is inside your head. Without explanation, you can come off brash or rude, and depending on the receiver, this could be detrimental. Remember to inform your face if you do not want to share your true feelings at that moment. You never know who is watching.

Do you Really Want to Share your Emotions was last modified: August 14th, 2017 by Keriann Worley